How to make advertisements reach the top segment?: An exclusive experience
Drawing a brand to the attention of CEOs, ministers, international stars and members of the royal family: that's what Schiphol and Audi do, by offering the most exclusive experience.
Every day, hundreds of thousands of passengers walk around in Schiphol’s terminals. However, travelers from the upper echelons are found in specific locations: the Privium Lounges and the VIP Centre. The VIP guests in particular opt for the most exclusive experience. They follow a separate route within the airport, including their own security, seating areas and transport to the airplane. This provides strategic opportunities for advertisers seeking to reach them. Audi, for instance, has been the exclusive mobility partner of the VIP Centre for years. Together, they let their target audience - the highest conceivable segment - experience the luxury of the German car brand.
An exclusive experience
The success of the collaboration between the VIP Centre and Audi stems from their shared target audience. Together, they ensure travelers who value comfort, exclusivity, and privacy are fully catered to. Their luggage is checked in for them, and they're given all the peace and space to work, dine, or even shower. Additionally, they're escorted to the airplane in a luxury limousine - the Audi A8L. In this way, VIP guests not only see advertisements from the German brand, they also feel what it's like to ride in their cars. It's an exclusive experience.
Strategic touchpoints along the passenger route
There's a clear mutual benefit in this collaboration. Schiphol is able to offer VIP guests the most luxurious experience, while Audi gets the chance to showcase its products to the highest segment. The power of this partnership becomes even clearer when looking at the route that the target audience takes at the airport. The German car brand features prominently at various strategic touchpoints.
It starts when passengers use Schiphol's Excellence Parking: on every floor, they stumble upon Audi lightboxes. As they arrive in the terminal, they're welcomed by the digital screens of the B2B network, displaying Audi's always-on campaign. Inside the VIP Centre, it’s touch and go again. Travelers are surrounded by LED lights bearing the Audi logo, and they can listen to business podcasts that the car brand has specially selected for them. They then pass by a large, painting-like banner of the Audi A8L. The end-to-end journey is completed when they're escorted to the airplane in that same luxury limousine.
Reaching the highest segment
In 2022, a total of 29,000 guests visited the VIP Centre. But who exactly are they? Among them are ministers, CEOs, international DJs, and members of royalty. They are tough to reach. Since it's a relatively small audience, mass channels, for example, are not a suitable option.
With the advertising opportunities of the VIP Centre, Audi does manage to reach this highest segment. The reason? In this specific location, the density of the target audience is high. Moreover, guests stay longer in the VIP Centre, and a message here can be prominently positioned - especially for such a large and tangible brand like Audi.
Schiphol as advertising partner
Thanks to the partnership with Audi, Schiphol succeeds in providing VIP guests with a top-tier travel experience. The fact that they are escorted from the terminal to the airplane in an A8L might seem like product placement. At the same time, it's more than that: it's about the experience. Audi lets passengers experience quality and luxury in a creative and thoughtful manner, rather than just talking about it.
Want to know more about Schiphol as an advertising partner? Whether you're aiming to realize top-of-mind awareness or warm up your audience to your brand: download the whitepaper and discover what a partnership could mean for you.